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Post by tuigirl on Jan 6, 2023 11:21:20 GMT
Hello everybody. I thought I would create a thread for this, since I have seen we have a few fans on here and I felt the need for some healthy discussion.
Why?
I have several friends who are big fans, and they always go on about how awesome the movies are. To my shame, I must confess I have only seen a few movies so far. I thought I will rectify this, so I bought a Studio Ghibli DVD collection on Ebay, featuring 18 (!!!) of the most famous movies.
I know that these movies tackle some tough topics and show some heartbreaking scenes and finally watching them will be a challenge. Mononoke was very shocking when I first watched it- I went into this thinking it would be a cute animated movie, but it is extremely violent and graphic and I had a hard time digesting it. But the art is beautiful and the message(s) are presented well.
And then there is Grave of the Fireflies.... I certainly have been traumatized by Grave of the Fireflies. I am not sure I could watch it again. Yes, it is beautiful and a heartbreaking story about children suffering from war, but it actually caused me nightmares. Yesterday, I looked the movie up on the internet, and one of the reasons Grave of the Fireflies is so traumatizing is the cultural differences between the West and Japan. So apparently what the kids do and how they act makes total sense and is honourable and "the good way" for Japanese people. It comes across as much more hopeful and motivating, instead of devastating. I can only guess, but for Japanese kids, this is much more similar to Brothers Lionheart (by Astrid Lindgren)- which is also heartbreaking and full of tough choices and experiences, but with a hopeful subtext.
I thought this was very interesting.
Now I am waiting for my DVDs to arrive... I hope there might be a few people join in with this first watch / re-watch and we could share some opinions and thoughts. I am aware that I might find this journey challenging, but discovering new things and appreciating art and a different way of thinking often is.
Looking forward to this!
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Post by sidestep on Jan 6, 2023 15:02:52 GMT
Mononoke Hime is one of the rare anime that I like both the English & Japanese versions. My family almost exclusively prefer to watch anime in Japanese with English subtitles, or even no subtitles. However, because Neil Gaiman wrote the English script, we gave it a chance & liked it & the English voice acting. A different experience from watching it in Japanese. Prior to watching Mononoke, me & my family watched Nausicaa & Kiki’s Delivery Service. So it was also a new experience for us to see a prominent male lead in a Ghibli film (this was years before collections became available, & the only Ghibli works we had access to on vhs & vcd had female leads). The scenes that made the most memorable impressions on me were: The reveal of what was under that writhing mass, Ashitaka firing the arrow & taking off the man’s arms, San sucking the blood out of the wound, Eboshi & San fight scene & Ashitaka intervening (I actually like the English voice acting better in this one scene), the attack of the boar clan, & Moro biting off Eboshi’s arm. As for Kiki’s Delivery Service, the last time I watched it was half a lifetime ago, & the only thing I remember about it was that she delivers stuff 😅. & the wonderful animation. Will post my thoughts on Nausicaa next time. That was half of my childhood, all of my teen years & early twenties. It’s a lot of thoughts. Lol. & it used to be my #1 anime of all time, but now shares that #1 spot with several other series. (Evangelion, Sailor Moon, Sakura Taisen). |
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Post by Kestrel on Feb 15, 2023 4:23:46 GMT
Oh, man. Nothing quite drives home just how poorly my health has been this year more than the fact that I completely missed this thread.
Tonight's one of those nights, too, so I'm gettin' all wordy. Text deluge incoming in 3... 2....
....
I basically just got into Ghibli films a few months ago (I want to say... November?) -- starting with Howl's Moving Castle which I adored. Everything about it was fantastic, the story, the characters, the music, the direction, the style. Incredible. I especially loved the animation for Sophie -- at the beginning of the film, she kind of moves like a much older person (not at all dissimilar from Matt Smith's physical performance as the Doctor) and then as the story progresses -- long after her transformation -- she moves about much more youthfully. And, man, don't even get me started on the visuals -- there's a staggering level of imagination and craft at play here.
After that, I watched The Castle of Cagliostro and a few of the relevant Lupin the Third: Series 3 episodes. The latter certainly predates Ghibli, but I'm not sure about the former: but in any case, it's all animated by Hayao Miyazaki, so -- close enough.
As some of y'all may have noticed due to my tendency to bring it up at the least provocation, I am an enormous fan of Arsene Lupin in all his incarnations -- Lupin the Third included. So, for me, this was a very enjoyable exercise. Miyazaki is great at animating action: in one of the TV episodes, Fujiko has this great action sequence where she runs from the back of an airplane to the front -- all one seamless take -- beating up Nazis one after another; in the movie, the big action sequence set around the collapse of the castle (all those crumbling bricks) is one of the most memorable bits of animated destruction I've ever seen.
I'm not sure how much input Miyazaki had on the stories of these Lupin animations, but they feel a bit... lacking in depth. They're very much of a kind with the lighthearted, campy flavor that characterized the 1970s Lupin anime. I definitely like it, but I know Miyazaki likes stories with a bit of bite to them -- something that modern Lupin the Third delivers in spades -- so they feel a bit... "immature" is the word, I suppose.
....
After that I wound up picking up several blu-rays (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I was also able to pick up a copy of the hardcover boxset edition of the Nausicaa manga for a good price -- and boy oh boy, is it impressive. Really nice oversized books with thick, glossy paper. My plan is to read through all of it before watching the movie, and so far I've read the first half -- going very slowly, so as to savor it. The art is lovely, the setting compelling, and the story engaging. I can't wait to see it animated.
And that's where I'm at, currently. Well, I think I may have also seen Kiki's Delivery Service when I was a kid, but I don't remember it very well at all (and may in fact be confusing it with something else) so I'm not gonna count it. I've pretty much spent this month with my copy of Princess Mononoke sitting on top of my PS4 (only disc player I've got) thinking, "Today's the day!"
Well, that day hasn't come yet, but hopefully it will soon!
....
Anyway, after I've cleared through my remaining pile, I plan to keep going a bit further, but don't really know where to start, so if any of y'all have any advice for that, please, lay it on me. I've definitely made an effort to seek out the "classics" in most media, but I'll be honest: anime movies are a bit of a blind spot for me. Currently, if nothing else, I've got my eye on The Wind Rises. Though when it Japanese media set in the prewar period, I'm always a bit... on edge. There's a worrying tendency to romanticize that period -- an attitude that more often than not goes and in hand with far-right nationalism, jingoism and war crime denial -- but based on what I've seen of his work thus far, I'm 99.9% sure I don't have to worry about that with Miyazaki.
Dunno how long this exploration of a Ghibli will take me, but I plan to pace myself... slowly.... I'm also diving back in to watch some of the classic anime series I'd not yet gotten around to yet (EG Aura Battler Dunbine, Planetes, the Patlabor OVAs and movies -- loved the TV series but never went further -- Nadia Secret of the Blue Water, The Five Star Stories and Vision of Escaflowne) as well as other classic anime films that I never really set out to watch until now (EG Akira and the Ghost in the Shells). I'm definitely in danger of overdosing on animation.
Oh, and just today I received a package including the blu-ray collection of Lupin the Third: Series VI. I'm very excited to see it, especially after how good Series V was -- a high point for the franchise, I think -- possibly the highest.
....
EDIT: Oh, and I should probably also comment on what set me down this Ghibli rabbit hole in the first place. Essentially, I just saw people quoting Miyazaki. Posting clips and excerpts from interviews, that kind of thing. They made me think, "Wow, i really need to check out this guy's work." I'm not altogether certain where these bits and bibs came from, but I be,I've one of the more interesting was from an interview included with an artbook for Nausicaa, which may explain why I went a bit above and beyond to read Miyazaki's manga for it first. After I watch the movie, I hope to pick up a copy of that artbook, and hopefully the interview's be there.
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Post by tuigirl on Feb 17, 2023 19:57:45 GMT
Oh, man. Nothing quite drives home just how poorly my health has been this year more than the fact that I completely missed this thread. Tonight's one of those nights, too, so I'm gettin' all wordy. Text deluge incoming in 3... 2.... .... I basically just got into Ghibli films a few months ago (I want to say... November?) -- starting with Howl's Moving Castle which I adored. Everything about it was fantastic, the story, the characters, the music, the direction, the style. Incredible. I especially loved the animation for Sophie -- at the beginning of the film, she kind of moves like a much older person (not at all dissimilar from Matt Smith's physical performance as the Doctor) and then as the story progresses -- long after her transformation -- she moves about much more youthfully. And, man, don't even get me started on the visuals -- there's a staggering level of imagination and craft at play here. After that, I watched The Castle of Cagliostro and a few of the relevant Lupin the Third: Series 3 episodes. The latter certainly predates Ghibli, but I'm not sure about the former: but in any case, it's all animated by Hayao Miyazaki, so -- close enough. As some of y'all may have noticed due to my tendency to bring it up at the least provocation, I am an enormous fan of Arsene Lupin in all his incarnations -- Lupin the Third included. So, for me, this was a very enjoyable exercise. Miyazaki is great at animating action: in one of the TV episodes, Fujiko has this great action sequence where she runs from the back of an airplane to the front -- all one seamless take -- beating up Nazis one after another; in the movie, the big action sequence set around the collapse of the castle (all those crumbling bricks) is one of the most memorable bits of animated destruction I've ever seen. I'm not sure how much input Miyazaki had on the stories of these Lupin animations, but they feel a bit... lacking in depth. They're very much of a kind with the lighthearted, campy flavor that characterized the 1970s Lupin anime. I definitely like it, but I know Miyazaki likes stories with a bit of bite to them -- something that modern Lupin the Third delivers in spades -- so they feel a bit... "immature" is the word, I suppose. .... After that I wound up picking up several blu-rays ( Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I was also able to pick up a copy of the hardcover boxset edition of the Nausicaa manga for a good price -- and boy oh boy, is it impressive. Really nice oversized books with thick, glossy paper. My plan is to read through all of it before watching the movie, and so far I've read the first half -- going very slowly, so as to savor it. The art is lovely, the setting compelling, and the story engaging. I can't wait to see it animated. And that's where I'm at, currently. Well, I think I may have also seen Kiki's Delivery Service when I was a kid, but I don't remember it very well at all (and may in fact be confusing it with something else) so I'm not gonna count it. I've pretty much spent this month with my copy of Princess Mononoke sitting on top of my PS4 (only disc player I've got) thinking, "Today's the day!" Well, that day hasn't come yet, but hopefully it will soon! .... Anyway, after I've cleared through my remaining pile, I plan to keep going a bit further, but don't really know where to start, so if any of y'all have any advice for that, please, lay it on me. I've definitely made an effort to seek out the "classics" in most media, but I'll be honest: anime movies are a bit of a blind spot for me. Currently, if nothing else, I've got my eye on The Wind Rises. Though when it Japanese media set in the prewar period, I'm always a bit... on edge. There's a worrying tendency to romanticize that period -- an attitude that more often than not goes and in hand with far-right nationalism, jingoism and war crime denial -- but based on what I've seen of his work thus far, I'm 99.9% sure I don't have to worry about that with Miyazaki. Dunno how long this exploration of a Ghibli will take me, but I plan to pace myself... slowly.... I'm also diving back in to watch some of the classic anime series I'd not yet gotten around to yet (EG Aura Battler Dunbine, Planetes, the Patlabor OVAs and movies -- loved the TV series but never went further -- Nadia Secret of the Blue Water, The Five Star Stories and Vision of Escaflowne) as well as other classic anime films that I never really set out to watch until now (EG Akira and the Ghost in the Shells). I'm definitely in danger of overdosing on animation. Oh, and just today I received a package including the blu-ray collection of Lupin the Third: Series VI. I'm very excited to see it, especially after how good Series V was -- a high point for the franchise, I think -- possibly the highest.....EDIT: Oh, and I should probably also comment on what set me down this Ghibli rabbit hole in the first place. Essentially, I just saw people quoting Miyazaki. Posting clips and excerpts from interviews, that kind of thing. They made me think, "Wow, i really need to check out this guy's work." I'm not altogether certain where these bits and bibs came from, but I be,I've one of the more interesting was from an interview included with an artbook for Nausicaa, which may explain why I went a bit above and beyond to read Miyazaki's manga for it first. After I watch the movie, I hope to pick up a copy of that artbook, and hopefully the interview's be there.I hope we can have some lively discussions here! As usual, I enjoy your in depth analyses.
My DVDs have since then arrived, but sadly, I have not been in the mood to start on them, and over the next couple of weeks I am pretty busy with work and family and will be away on weekends- so this thread is more something for the long-run. I need to be in the mood for deep stories. My mind needs to be open. Being stressed and fed up is pretty much the opposite of that.
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Post by Kestrel on Feb 19, 2023 1:41:45 GMT
Ahaha... I know the feeling. I don't want to sit down for a Miyazaki movie unless I know I can give it my full and undivided attention for the full runtime, and that's not a state of mind I frequently find myself enjoying.
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Post by tuigirl on Jun 15, 2023 8:26:09 GMT
Right!
I started on this!
I started with "The Cat Returns" and I am now halfway through (my attention span is not good enough right now to watch a movie straight through).
I love it.
It is so whimsical. Just my kind of weird and absurd.
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Post by tuigirl on Jun 16, 2023 8:48:53 GMT
The Cat Returns-
I really liked this!
It has a great message (believe in yourself), great characters and looks beautiful.
It is just my kind of weird and absurd.
I watched it in the English dubbed version, and all the time was thinking "you know some of these voices" and would you believe it, some pretty famous actors giving voice to the characters.
So I am off to a great start with this.
Looking forward to the next.
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Post by tuigirl on Jun 18, 2023 8:49:32 GMT
Started on Howl's Moving Castle.
I am again in love with the wonderful whimsical characters. And this is a Steampunk world, bonus.
Plus, the story transports such a huge amount of positivity.
One of the most awful curses has hit the main character, only because she was standing up for herself, but she never even thinks of giving up. No! She sees the positive even in the most awful of situations and stays kind and friendly.
That is a lot to take in.
This character possesses an incredible strength.
I wish I had that strength when not feeling great to still be able to be kind and friendly.... most of the time, I just turn out grumpy and aggressive.
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Post by tuigirl on Jun 24, 2023 9:43:08 GMT
OMG. Howl's moving castle is just WONDERFUL. It is full of great characters which are studied in detail, the art and creativity that went into the environments is amazing and all the crazy steampunk technology is well thought-out. I also love that there is no real black and white- even the most vile of villains get another chance and their character is explored. The heroine is kind and shows kindness even to these villains. She even makes an effort to befriend them (including a demon!). And I have to say, while the villains are truly despicable, I think the worst is the mother of the heroine- such a self-absorbed uncaring treacherous b****. And the heroine still wishes her good luck! This is a story about kindness, love, overcoming the most insurmountable of obstacles, never giving up! and how working together will get the job done. I am just disappointed with the ending. The ending was a bit abrupt and for me it just came across as totally having lost the steam.
Next up- Tales from Earthsea.
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Post by Kestrel on Jun 24, 2023 19:33:23 GMT
Yeah, HMC is incredible. In just about every respect. I especially love how Sophie is animated while she's on old woman -- so expressive!
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Post by tuigirl on Jun 29, 2023 20:05:07 GMT
Tales of Earthsea
Well, again a beautiful looking movie, fantastic art and scenery. The story itself is very confusing at times and I never understood why the boy killed his father. Was it because he wanted the magical sword? If yes, why? Or was this the plan of the bad guy all along? Bud the villain lived somewhere completely different? The villain? Was a bit weird. His drive and his plans made no sense to me and all I got was "I want to live forever muhahaha". The other characters I liked. I have a soft spot for wizards and witches, so Sparrowhawk and his witch lady-friend were great.
I however also did not understand how dragons worked in this world (I have not read the books) and why the dragons were fighting at the beginning and what the story with the girl was. Was she possessed by a dragon? A dragon herself? And what was this story of her being abused and burned and abandoned by her parents? As I said, in the end, I had more questions than answers. Still, the ending was beautiful and I had to cry in the end.
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Post by Kestrel on Jul 1, 2023 8:41:08 GMT
Have you read any of the other books adapted into Ghibli films, or Vice versa? I just picked up Kiki's Delivery Service, though I've not yet read it; and I've heard great things about Howl's Moving Castle. I've generally heard that the Ghibli movies are only ever very loose adaptations. I can at least say, going the other way, that Miyazaki's Nausicaa manga is absolutely spectacular. Definitely check it out if you ever get the opportunity. As I said, in the end, I had more questions than answers. Still, the ending was beautiful and I had to cry in the end. Exactly this. There's an exquisite beauty to Ghibli films that impossible to articulate, let alone replicate. Even when you're left scratching your head at the end, it's an incredible experience. |
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Post by tuigirl on Jul 1, 2023 9:43:43 GMT
Have you read any of the other books adapted into Ghibli films, or Vice versa? I just picked up Kiki's Delivery Service, though I've not yet read it; and I've heard great things about Howl's Moving Castle. I've generally heard that the Ghibli movies are only ever very loose adaptations. I can at least say, going the other way, that Miyazaki's Nausicaa manga is absolutely spectacular. Definitely check it out if you ever get the opportunity. As I said, in the end, I had more questions than answers. Still, the ending was beautiful and I had to cry in the end. Exactly this. There's an exquisite beauty to Ghibli films that impossible to articulate, let alone replicate. Even when you're left scratching your head at the end, it's an incredible experience. No, I have not read any of the books. And I am going into these movies as blind as possible.
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Post by tuigirl on Jul 7, 2023 21:10:47 GMT
Spirited Away A very moving tale about greed, and how friendship and kindness will vanquish greed and save the day. Again, we have very whimsical characters: the spider boiler man, No-Face, the two twin sister witches (reminded me of Granny Weatherwax and her evil twin).... And again, we have a main character who is ruled by kindness and who will even engage with the villains in a nice way.
Parts of this movie were a bit brutal and scary, so this might not have been intended for small children.
It also looks beautiful. These movies continue to be beautiful, creative, original and have an important story to tell. Also, the ending had me in tears. Again.
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Post by tuigirl on Jul 15, 2023 9:22:39 GMT
Ponyo Well, this was certainly the weirdest of the movies so far. Half of the time I did not quite understand what was going on, how this magic worked and what the deal was.
It was a strange mix of Captain Nemo (the crazy scientist father) meets the Little Mermaid. It might be that I do not know enough about Japanese Spiritualism and Animism in general (my knowledge of water goddesses and their power comes solely from Rivers of London).
As usual, the movie was beautiful to look at, inventive, weird and wonderful. But I felt pretty locked out from the message of the film. Love conquers all? So a 10 year old boy must declare his undying love and kiss the ocean princess to save the world? And then have this girl in custody for the rest of his life? This just felt so wrong on so many levels.
But as I said, there probably is more to it.
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Post by tuigirl on Jul 20, 2023 19:28:55 GMT
My neighbours the Yamadas
Well, big plus for the unique visual style and doing something completely different from the previous movies and just telling a story about family life.
However, the arguments in this family reminded me very painfully of my own family, and right now cannot really handle any family drama (even if it is meant to be comedic and light hearted) so I actually DID NOT finish this film. I will try again at a later date.
My neighbour Totoro
This is more like it. A wonderful positive and happy magical children's movie full of sense of wonder and positive vibes.
It is beautiful to look at and all the creatures are weird and wonderful (even if the magical bus seems to be stolen from Disney's Cheshire Cat).
But is was great to go out exploring with these kids, learning about Japanese customs (bathing, food, religion) and Japanese rural life in the 50s and just simply experiencing the simply playfulness of the movie. I also found it great that the father, who is a professor for Anthropology, takes all the dreams (? or are they ?) of his kids as real experiences and accepting the presence of supernatural beings watching over his family.
This a wonderful positive movie, even if it is a bit slow and there are no big revelations and no action and no real threats.
I cried in the end. Simply put- this movie is the equivalent of a warm friendly hug.
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Post by tuigirl on Jul 21, 2023 8:07:16 GMT
Started on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. A dark post-apocalyptic story non-the-less full of hope (for now, at least). I am 40 minutes in.
I am not very much taken by the idea of "princess messiah/ chosen one" (Princess Leia, anyone?). Why does it always have to be a princess or person of rank in many stories? It irks me the wrong way. On the other hand, a simple farmer's daughter would not have been able to afford all her fancy gear, so there is that.
Other than that, so far I have only praise. Fantastic art, great world-building and an interesting premise.
Since I recently got into insects (especially ants) and have read the books of E.O. Wilson about how he always wanted to talk to aliens and then settled to translate the language of the ants (which he did), I love the idea of a character who can talk to the giant arthropods (anatomically, they are not insects).
Anyways, loved this so much I immediately went on Amazon and ordered the Collectors Edition of the Manga Box. This will then be only the second Manga I own.
So I am looking forward to also reading the Manga written by the creator and learning more about this world.
Will arrive tomorrow.
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Post by tuigirl on Jul 23, 2023 8:26:56 GMT
Finished Nausikaa.
This was wonderful.
I cried many tears at the end.
Yes, we do get the overdone messianic figure and resurrection at the end, but non-the-less the movie held a message that is now more important than ever-
we have to work together to get things done and save ourselves, if we just keep on squabbling among ourselves and kill each other, then we are doomed.
Because this is pretty much what is going to happen with the climate change crisis right now.
If we continue to wage war on each other, and facilitate the spread of the toxic jungle and even lure the giant insects to have them destroy the neighbours, the world is going to end.
And sadly, right now, there is no messianic heroine around to help calm the stampede and rescue the struggling survivors.
This makes the movie haunting.
However, it has a clear message of hope.
I am looking forward to diving into this world in more detail.
The huge and heavy epic tome of the collected Manga arrived at my doorstep yesterday.
So I will have 1000 pages of this to read in the coming weeks.
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Post by Kestrel on Jul 24, 2023 21:53:40 GMT
Nausicaa!
Nausicaa is one of my favorites! Hell, not just of Studio Ghibli stuff, but anime -- no, movies, period! I love it so much -- everything about it! And you're gonna love the manga, too! It's so good! God he,o me, there's not a single sentence I can write here that doesn't end with a exclamation mark!
Nausicaa!
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Post by tuigirl on Jul 25, 2023 20:12:09 GMT
Nausicaa!Nausicaa is one of my favorites! Hell, not just of Studio Ghibli stuff, but anime -- no, movies, period! I love it so much -- everything about it! And you're gonna love the manga, too! It's so good! God he,o me, there's not a single sentence I can write here that doesn't end with a exclamation mark!Nausicaa! So from this I gather that the Manga for Nausicaa might actually be okay-ish......
I started on it, I am around 100 pages in. The story is quite a bit different from the movie. There are a few scenes and plot elements that are the same, but the whole setup is in a much larger scale and goes in a different direction. So we are off to fight a war, then.
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